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Indian Student Mobility Declines 18.5% in 2025 as IITs, IIMs Open Overseas Campuses

Target:UPSCMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains MediumStatic GK Link
12 Aug 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:6,19,264 (2025)8,94,758 (2023)18.5% decline (2025 vs 2024)18,82,318 total Indian students abroad4,27,085 (Canada)2,55,247 (USA)
Bodies:Bureau of ImmigrationMinistry of EducationIIT MadrasIIT DelhiIIM Ahmedabad
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.Indian students travelling abroad for study declined to 6,19,264 in 2025 from 8,94,758 in 2023, a drop of ~31% over two years.

2.India's top institutions (IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIM Ahmedabad) have opened campuses in Zanzibar, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai respectively.

3.Canada, US, and UK host the largest share of Indian university students abroad — over 8.55 lakh combined.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · Medium

Indian students going abroad for study fell for the second consecutive year in 2025, dropping 18.5% to 6.19 lakh. Simultaneously, top Indian institutes like IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, and IIM Ahmedabad have established overseas campuses, signaling a dual shift in international education dynamics.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Students abroad in 20256,19,264
Peak year (2023)8,94,758
Decline in 2025 vs 2023~2.76 lakh fewer
Total Indians abroad (Jan 2025 dataset)18,82,318
Top destination (Canada)4,27,085
IIT Madras campus locationZanzibar (2023)
IIT Delhi campus locationAbu Dhabi (2024)
IIM Ahmedabad campus locationDubai (2025)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Students abroad in 2025: 6,19,264
  • ›Peak year (2023): 8,94,758
  • ›Target this Data: Indian students abroad for study in 2025 = 6,19,264; Peak in 2023 = 8,94,758; Decline = 18.5% (2025 vs 2024)
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Bureau of Immigration (BoI) under Ministry of Home Affairs
  • ›Target this Institution: IIT Madras (Zanzibar campus opened 2023), IIT Delhi (Abu Dhabi, 2024), IIM Ahmedabad (Dubai, 2025)

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which government agency provided the data on Indians travelling abroad for study mentioned in the news?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding Indian student mobility:

1. The number of Indian students going abroad for study declined for the second consecutive year in 2025.

2. The 2025 figure of 6.19 lakh students abroad is lower than the 2021 figure of 4.46 lakh.

3. Canada hosted the largest number of Indian university students among all countries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the Bureau of Immigration data, how many Indian students went abroad for study in the peak year between 2021 and 2025?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the primary significance of Indian institutes like IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, and IIM Ahmedabad establishing overseas campuses, as mentioned in the news?

All 15 MCQs ▸
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